Clash of the Gods
by Rogue Wingweaver
Summary: The Tri Wizard Tournament is at Hogwarts and Cedric's one of the champions. We start our story shortly after the first task. This is a fic that show you the Goblet of Fire through Cedric's eyes. Mild Yaoi CDxDM
1. Like Stars in the Sky

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter.

Clash of the Gods

By Rogue Wingweaver

Chapter 1

Like Stars in the Sky

"Hi Draco" cried a group of girls as the sexy slitherin walked down the hall.

It was his fourth year at Hogwarts and the girls were glad he was back. Draco had always been popular with the ladies, it was in his blood.

"It's good to be back" he said, looking around at the familiar surroundings.

"I wonder where that bloody potter boy is. Off trying to save the world I imagine. If you ask me, his head is ten times bigger now that he is a champion than it was before. What do you say we help shrink it a little for him?" He smirked and turned to Crabb and Goyle who were walking beside him.

They laughed but didn't say anything in response, they rarely ever did. Draco just liked them around to listen to him anyways. They all walked further down the hall but stopped when they saw the famous trio. Draco jumped at the chance to torture Harry.

"So Potter, now that you're a champion, I bet you get to spend a lot more time with your boyfriend." He said, trying to look like he cared.

"And who would that be Malfoy?" Harry asked

"Why, Cedric of course. Isn't that why you forced yourself into the tournament? So you could be with your lovy dovy." He mocked.

The halls filled with laughter and Harry was angry as usual.

"No Draco, I think he is more your type." Harry answered.

Then he turned and looked at Hermione and Ron, signally that it was time leave the hall. He had learned to leave Draco to his joking, he just liked the attention anyway.

Displeased that his verbal strike had been doused by Harry, Draco left the crowd in a huff. _Who does Harry think he is? He is an insufferable mudblood lover, that what he is._ Distracted by his frustration and thoughts, Draco wasn't watching where he was going and ran right into someone. For a split second, Draco looked up and saw that the person in from of him was Cedric Diggory. He had been walking so fast that when he hit Cedric, they both lost their balance and crashed to the floor. Cedric was on his back, the books he had been carrying were scattered around him. He looked up to see Draco Malfoy, straddling him. There was a shock like electricity when their eyes met. Draco quickly got up and tried to hide the shade of red his face was turning. What was this feeling rushing between the two of them? Neither knew and both tried to ignore it.

"What's the big idea? Didn't you see that I was in front of you?" Draco demanded, trying to act normal.

"I should ask you the same questions." Cedric replied as he bent down nervously to pick up the books he had been taking with him to the Library.

Draco looked around for support, then he remembered that he had left Crabb and Goyle with the other laughing students. Without another word, he stormed off in the direction of the dungeons. Once in the Slytherin common room he sat down in his favorite chair and let his nerves calm down. Lately he hadn't been sure how to handle himself. He was fourteen and even though it didn't seem possible, he had changed a lot over the summer. He was now over six feet tall, his white blonde hair surrounded the face of a young man instead of a child. He had grown into his good looks quite nicely but he wasn't sure what to do about it. Many of the girls gave him looks and he knew he could have his choice of any of them but this didn't excite him. He felt very lost and confused. The encounter with the famous Hufflepuff only concerned him more. He wasn't sure what had happened there. He had blushed and this was not something he did very often. Draco didn't know what made him leave the dungeons that night but he was restless and somehow he found himself on his way up to the astronomy tower.

The Tri Wizard Tournament had started and everyone had been shocked to hear that two

people would represent Hogwarts, Cedric and Harry. This had never happened before and many were not pleased. The first task was over and Cedric, Harry, Fleur, and Krum had got past their dragons and retrieved the mysterious, golden eggs. So far, none of them had been able to open their eggs. Cedric knew what his father expected of him and he was trying his hardest to make sure he won the tournament. He knew his father loved him and that was why he expected so much of him. Amos Diggory had always thought his son was perfect and even though he didn't mean to, this put a lot of pressure on Cedric. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his father. The problem was, he was tired. The stress was wearing him thin.

As Cedric sat in the library trying to finish an essay for Potions class, he couldn't concentrate. What was in the egg? What would be the challenge of the second task? He had no clue what his earlier encounter with Draco Malfoy meant. He had always had little to do with the young Slytherin.

_Why can't I just leave it all?_ Cedric screamed in his head. He needed to do something to calm himself. Knowing right away what would sooth him, he got up quickly and gathered his books. He walked out of the library and followed the familiar path to the astronomy tower. He often came here to look at the stars and think about how small he was compared to the vast sparkling sky before him. Once he was up the tower, he walked over to the low wall and sat down, leaning his back against it. Cedric let his thoughts consume him until he was lost in a different world.

It was at this time that Draco appeared. He looked around, saw Cedric and jumped. He tried to urge his legs to turn around and run, but failed. He couldn't take his eyes off the figure in front of him. The feeling from earlier was back but he didn't feel embaressment this time.

_What is this pull I feel, drawing me to Cedric? He is a Hufflepuff._ But Draco's thoughts stopped there. Cedric had sensed him and turned to see who invaded his heaven. There eyes met and that same electricity came alive again. All of a sudden Draco could move again and he walked towards Cedric. Cedric got up and was the first one to speak.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, trying to sound annoyed but his voice wavered a bit.

Before Draco could stop himself he said,

"I don't know, something made me come so here I am."

"Is everything alright? Why are you here?" Draco asked.

Not knowing what made him answer, Cedric seemed to relax and said,

"I was feeling overwhelmed so I came here to unwind."

He sat back down and patted his hand beside him, motioning for Draco to join him. Then he looked back up at the sky and continued.

"The stars have a calming affect on me. When I'm here, my troubles seem to fade away for a while."

Draco, still feeling a bit nervous, had sat down. He could see the evidence of stress in Cedric blue eyes. Hearing what Cedric said only confirmed this truth. He let his eyes explore the person next to him. Over all, Cedric was extremely handsome. His hair was light brown, slightly mussed as he ran his fingers through it. Draco wished those fingers were his own. He turned his eyes from Cedric and looked up at the stars.

They both sat in silence for a while, they didn't need to use words to talk.

Cedric wasn't sure why but he felt calmer with Draco there. He looked over at the Slytherin. Draco's extraordinary looks made Cedric's heart beat a little faster. Those silver eyes were enchanting and Draco skin looked even paler than normal in the moonlight. _He looks much older than fourteen, and he isn't acting like his usual stuck up self. Is there more to Draco? _Cedric thought to himself. He was willing to find out and the idea of this excited him.


	2. Bath Towel

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter.

Clash of the Gods

By Rogue Wingweaver

Chapter 2

Bath Towel

The next few days passed without Cedric and Draco seeing much of each other. Most of the students were swamped with homework. All it seemed but Fred and George Weasley. They seemed to have the time to recruit many a first year to be willingly subjected to their new products. The weather outside was cooler and the Yule Ball was approaching. It would be on Christmas Day and was all everyone talked about.

All of the champions were instructed that they would need partners for the dance. Cedric didn't like this idea. Of course he knew who he would ask, he just didn't want to do it. The girl he had in mind was Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw and an excellent Quidditch player. They had been friends for a while now. The only problem was, lately she acted like she wanted them to be more than friends. Not long ago he had thought he liked her too but lately things seemed to be different. He couldn't think of another girl to ask and he had to go with someone. Then a thought went through his mind.

_What if I went with Draco?_

This of course would be impossible but thinking about it lifted his spirits. He was sure the professors would never allow it. They hadn't said plainly that his partner had to be a girl but he was sure that is what they meant.

_Well, I might as well get it out of the way. Cho should be getting out of Defence Against the Dark Arts any minute._

He waited for a bit outside the DADA classroom, then he heard the familiar commotion that told him the class was over. Students started pouring out the door and then he saw Cho.

_I'll just get it over with._

"Cho, can I talk to you for a minute?" He yelled in her direction.

Cho looked up and saw Cedric. A huge smile broke on her face and she ran over to him.

"Hi Cedric, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well I was wondering if you would like to go to the Yule Ball with me." He said quickly, trying to say it with a smile.

"Really, you want to go with me?" Surprise and pleasure shown on her face as she spoke.

"I'd love to go with you Cedric."

"Good, I've got to go. Bye." Cedric said and then walked off.

"Bye." Cho yelled as she watched him leave.

The days leading up to the dance went much to fast. At least Cedric thought so. He wasn't sure how he was going to get through the dance. It was a few nights before the dance and Cedric was pacing the halls trying to figure out his golden egg. All it seemed to do was wail when he opened it. There had to be some sort of trick to it, but what? His concentration was interrupted when he heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked up to see a flash of white blonde hair, it was Draco. Cedric's heart started pounding as he took a closer look. Sure enough, Draco was walking up the hall with his head down. He seemed to be in deep thought and Cedric could hear him mumbling to himself. Draco walked right past Cedric without looking up and he could hear him saying,

"Father is so stupid. If he doesn't watch it, he'll land himself in Azkaban. The Dark Mark, why now?"

None of this seemed to make much sense to Cedric at first. Then it all came together. Draco's father had been a death eater. He must be worried. Cedric had seen the Dark Mark in the sky himself, at the Quidditch World Cup. It had been unsettling enough for him, how must Draco be feeling?

_What if I followed him? In this state he can't be safe alone. I have to follow him._

So quietly Cedric followed Draco. They went down many more halls and up a few flights of stairs. He seemed to be on his way to the prefects' bathroom, why Cedric had no idea. They where now on the fifth floor and Cedric could see the statue of Boris the Bewildered. Sure enough, Draco said the password and went through the fourth door on the left.

Cedric was unsure what to do but he wasn't turning back now. He put the egg in his robe pocket, said the words, "Pine Fresh" and went in the door after Draco.

Once inside, he saw Draco sitting at the pools edge fiddling with one of the golden taps. He had discarded his robes and was now wearing what looked like swim shorts. A fluffy towel was slung over his a shoulder but he was wearing nothing more. Draco looked up but didn't seem surprised to see Cedric staring at him, he looked pleased. He calmly smiled and said,

"Would you like to join me?"

Without a second thought, Cedric took off his robes and was soon down to just his boxers. By this time, Draco had the water full and the bubbles ready.

Draco set his towel down and slid into the water. Cedric followed and felt a rush as the warm water touched his skin.

"I heard you talking to yourself earlier in the hall." He finally spoke.

"You are right to be afraid. I would be too if I were you. The Dark Lord's returning is something he wants to be feared."

"I don't like being afraid, it makes me feel weak." Draco smile faded as he said this.

"Why do I feel like you know me? When I am around you it's different, I feel like I can relax and be at peace. It's like you understand but how can you?"

"I know what you mean. I feel it too." Cedric replied.

"I used to feel so alone, like there was no one in the world that I could talk to. Then that night up in the Astronomy tower changed everything. You were there."

A small tear ran down Cedric's cheek.

"I have never been close to anyone before. My friends were tools to get me through life. I don't know if I can trust anyone." Draco said with uncertainty.

"Draco, I like you and I want to be with you. Let's just try this and see what happens, no commitment. We need each other right now." Cedric said. Then he swam over and put his arms around Draco, pulling him into a long hug.

"I've needed someone like you for so long." Draco whispered in Cedric's ear.

"It's hard being alone."

"Well, we're not alone anymore, we have each other." Cedric answered.

Draco nodded in agreement. He now had someone who cared about him. So many feelings whelmed up inside him that he needed to release them. He took his hands from where they had been wrapped around Cedric's waist and put them on each side of Cedric's face. Then in one smooth action he pulled Cedric's face up and then lowered his own to place his lips on Cedric's. Cedric's shock turned to pleasure.

Then they were interrupted by a noise, something rolled into the water. It was the egg. It hit the bottom of the pool and opened but it didn't wail this time. Instead they heard a song. The water made the words to the song indistinguishable but they heard what sounded like words.

Cedric and Draco both dove under the water to get a closer look. Once under the water they could hear the song plain as day.

1

"_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll surely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And to recover what we took,_

_But past an hour, the prospect's black,_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."_

"What's that all about?" Draco asked when they had surfaced.

"Where did that egg come from?"

"It's mine, champion stuff." Cedric shrugged.

His mind was turning and he played the song through his head again.

_What does it mean?_

Then his eyes caught on the painting of the sleeping mermaid, and it all made sense.

He looked at Draco, who seemed very confused, and one line went through his mind.

_We've taken what you'll surely miss._

Would they take Draco?

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

A/N: the title to this chapter is dedicated to a friend of mine who has been writing a Fic called Bath Towel. The plot of her fic is pretty disturbing because the pairing is Draco and Dumbledore. She asked that I name this chapter after her fic so I could write this little plug for her story. Even if you don't read it, you are still probably twitching with disgust and the thought is forever planted in your head. The words, _Bath Towel_, take on a whole new meaning.


	3. To the Past and Bubbles

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter.

Clash of the Gods

By Rogue Wingweaver

Chapter 3

To the Past and Bubbles

The ball was boring and uneventful. Cho seemed to have a good time but Cedric was glad it was over. The only time he seemed to be awake was when he felt a stab of jealousy while watching Draco dance with Pansy Parkinson. He had been worried lately about what the next task would be. He knew that there would be mermaids and that they would take what he held dear but how would he be able to get it back? He had to find a way. The idea of something happening to Draco was enough to keep him searching day and night. As he sat in the Library, books surrounding him, he was distracted by thinking about the kiss he had shared with Draco a few nights before. He had never kissed a boy before, only a few girls but those kisses didn't even come close to the one with Draco. He was a few inches taller than Cedric which made things interesting. He was always used to being the dominant one in the relationship but this one was different. They were both very strong people and it felt like they took turns taking care of the each other. Cedric wanted to kiss him again and soon.

_This could only happen if I find a way to save him during the second task_, he reminded himself. He needed to stay focused, there wasn't much more time. The second task the two nights away and he still didn't have a plan. There had to be a spell in one of these books that would help him. Hours went by until he couldn't keep his eyes open. He needed some rest so he could continue looking tomorrow. He put all the books back and headed to bed, disappointed that he hadn't found anything.

That night he had a dream that revived an event from his past. He had been just four when Voldemort had been at his worst. Only months before he had been defeated by Harry, Cedric had been at home being watched by his aunt. His father had been very busy at work then and Cedric rarely saw him. He had been playing outside when he saw a group of men talking across the street. Cedric sensed that something wasn't right and that these men were bad. Then one of them turned and looked at him, it was Voldemort.

_This is the man aunt told me about._ He thought to himself.

She had said that if he ever saw him he was to run somewhere safe but Cedric was frozen in place and couldn't move. Something about this man terrified but amazed him. He knew that he was responsible for numerous wizard deaths but as Voldemort walked slowly over to Cedric, he didn't run.

Voldemort patted him on the head and said,

"Remember boy, the weak die to make room for the powerful. When you grow up, make sure you are serving the ones with power."

Then he walked off. Something made Cedric shiver and he ran into the house. He'd never told anyone about his meeting with the Dark Lord. He had always wondered what had paralyzed him that day. Why had Voldemort spoken to him and why was Cedric still alive? Most wizards who had faced Voldemort had died. Unless you were a death eater, you were against the Dark Lord and deserved to be punished. That was the way it was back then. Memories of that time had started to come back ever since Cedric had seen the Dark Mark. Now he dreamt about this memory, why? Voldemort was coming back to power, he knew it.

Feeling even more exhausted than when he had went to bed, Cedric tried to go back to sleep. When he closed his eyes, he felt himself tighten up with fear. He stared at the ceiling feeling flooded with dread.

Cedric was not alone in his insomnia, there was another in the castle who was awake.

Down in the dungeons there was a fourth year Slitherin whose thoughts would not allow him to rest. Draco played out the events of the night he spent with Cedric in his head but who couldn't understand it. He knew he liked Cedric. He loved the way he felt when he was with Cedric. Even though he found it hard to believe, he had found the comfort he had been searching for in a Hufflepuff. He also was surprised it was a guy. He had always wondered why he had never been interested in girls like the other boys, now he knew why. Pansy was alright for show but nothing more. The kiss he had shared with Cedric had decided everything for him. Cedric was all he could think about now.

The next day flew by without Cedric finding the right spell. He needed to be able to breath underwater. All of a sudden he realized he had been looking for the answer in the wrong place. He left the Library and went back to his room. He opened his trunk looking for the books he had brought to school with him. Before school he had been studying different muggle sports during the summer and one of them came to mind. It was a sport where the muggles would use a tank of air to breath underwater.

_What was that called? Oh, scuba diving, that's what it is._ _I think I remember Professor Flitwick mentioning a charm similar to that in class once but what was it? The basic idea was that you would have a bubble of air around your head that would last for a certain amount of time._

He looked in the back of one of his spell books and ran his finger down the list of spells and charms in the index. Wouldn't that be silly, to find the right spell in one of his textbooks after searching the whole Library. As he scanned the page his eyes stopped on something.

_Here it is,_ he looked down at the page again and he saw the words,

_The Bubble-Head Charm, page 98_

He turned to the right page and read,

"The Bubble-Head Charm is very useful because it allows a wizard to remain underwater for long periods of time…..after saying the incantation, _Oxcious Cerebro,_ a bubble will form around your head and you will breath oxygen from it_…._"

This was surely the answer. He would have to perform this charm to rescue Draco. For the past few days he had been worried about finding a plan but now a new worry started to nag at Cedric. What if something went wrong and he failed?

_I am just going to have to believe in myself, failure is not an option._


	4. A Trial of Love

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter.

Clash of the Gods

By Rogue Wingweaver

Chapter 4

A Trial of Love

On the morning of the second task, Draco did not wake up as usual. He heard voices talking over him and when he went to open his eyes and see who was in his room something made him fall back asleep. While he slept, he was taken out of the castle and down to the lake. There he would wait to be rescued with the others.

When Cedric woke up and a strange calm came over him. He knew what was expected of him but today the pressure was different. All his life he had been doing things like winning in quidditch and getting top grades to please his father, today he was doing something for himself.

He was quiet as he dressed and went to eat breakfast. The food had no taste in his mouth but he needed the energy. He was used to being this nervous. He left the great hall a little before it was time so he could have a look at the lake before everyone else was there.

As he walked down to the lake he saw that he was not the only one early. Krum was standing to the side of the stands that were now set up by the lake. He looked over when he heard Cedric approaching.

"Vhat do you think, vill it be difficult?" Krum asked trying to laugh.

"I guess we will find out soon." Cedric answered as he looked at the vast lake in front of him, it had to be hundreds of feet deep.

_How am I going to find him in an hour?_

Soon the two contestants were joined by Fleur and the judges. It was almost time and whether they were ready or not, the champions were minutes away from the Second Task of the Tri Wizard Tournament.

Soon all the students had filled the stands and everything was ready but they didn't start.

_What is holding things up?_ He wondered._ Wait, where is Harry?_

A few minutes after they had been set to start, they saw Harry tearing down the grass from the castle. Now they could start.

Ludo Bagman rose from his seat at the judges table and _said_,

"Now, all our champions are ready for the second task and we will start on my whistle. An hours time will be given to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . ._three._!"

The whistle blew and the crowds cheered. Cedric grabbed his wand and took a deep breath.

_I hope this works._

"Oxcious Cerebro." He yelled and then jumped into the water. A good sized bubble had formed around his head and be breathed deeply to test it. It was a weird feeling to breath under water but he had little time to think about it. As he looked around he could see that the lake was even larger than it looked from the surface. He would need to hurry if he was going to find Draco in time. He swam deeper into the lake and spotted a huge shadow to his left. He could only imagine what it belonged to. Panic was gripping him but he had to urge himself to keep swimming.

Time sped past as he searched. He had no idea how long he had been down there but his legs were starting to ache. Relief flooded him as he saw small huts in the distance. He was close, he could feel it. As he passed the deserted homes he started to worry.

_Where is everyone?_

Harry was the first to reach the captives. What he saw gave him quite a shock. There, all tied together was Ron, Hermione, a young girl that must have been Fleur's sister and Draco Malfoy. They were tied to a huge stone statue of a merperson. The gray skinned merpeople surrounded them, many of them carrying spears.

Harry mind spun, what was Draco doing there? He knew Ron was there for him to rescue and Hermione for Viktor. The girl was Fleur's so that must mean that Draco was there for Cedric. It didn't make any sense.

Cedric kept swimming until he came into a clearing which he guessed was the town square. Then he spotted Harry and the captives. A crowd of merpeople surrounded them and he could hear a choir of them singing. He let out the deep breath he had been holding when he saw Draco tied up but safe. He had made it in time. When he got to Harry and the others, he pulled a knife out of his pocket and quickly cut the rope that tied Draco down. When he had freed him, Cedric turned to Harry and mouthed,

"Get lost! Fleur and Krum're coming now!"

Then he pulled Draco close and swam off towards the surface.

When they came up, Cedric could hear gasps and sounds of shock echo all over the stadium. He ignored everything as he saw Draco was now awake and looking around confused.

Then Draco turned to him and smiled, everything was alright.

The judges all had looks of shock and Madam Pomfrey looked worried as she wrapped the boys in towels. Cedric knew why and had expected what was to come next.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall marched over to them and McGonagall was the first to speak.

"What is the meaning of this? I want some explanations. I was sure you would be bringing up Cho Chang, where is she?"

"She wasn't down there professor, Draco was." Cedric answered her calmly.

"Draco must be the most important person to you." Dumbledore said with a smile

"The Merpeople are never wrong. It is one of their powers to know the hearts of wizards. That is why I put them in charge of the kidnapping."

McGonagall still seemed annoyed but she wasn't going to argue with the headmaster.

Soon Viktor had come up with Hermione and Fleur had come up empty handed. For a while there was no sign of Harry and everyone began to worry.

_Where is he, _Cedric thought._ He had been there before me. I wonder what could have happened to him._

Then they saw something and with a splash Harry emerged from the water, swimming with a person under each arm.

The crowd cheered, most looked relieved. Harry had not only rescued Ron but also Fleur's little sister.

They were joined by twenty or so merpeople all singing in screechy voices.

When they reached the shore, He looked at the others and was surprised, Draco looked happy. There was a smile on his face as he sat next to Cedric. Harry couldn't see the usual malice and spite he had come to expect from the pale Slitherin. Something had changed in him.

The judges announced the points awarded to each champion then people slowing drifted back to the castle until only a few were left beside the peaceful lake.

Draco sat beside Cedric in the warm sun. At a distance he could see Harry and Ron also sitting in the grass. It was one of the few times that Hermione wasn't with them. Draco saw Ron stare at Harry with the same desire Draco had when he looked at Cedric. When Ron realized he had been caught he turned red and started bad mouthing Draco to Harry. Draco shook his head and turned to Cedric.

"Thanks for saving me."

"How could I do anything else?"

"So I am the most precious person to you?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad." Draco laid his head on Cedric chest and closed his eyes. Cedric wrapped his arms around the one he loved and settled his chin on top of Draco's head.

_So this is what love feels like,_ Draco thought to himself


End file.
